This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Many of today's vehicles have a cargo area for hauling items. Typically, the cargo area is arranged at the rear of a vehicle, where a tailgate assembly opens and closes to provide access to the cargo area. Examples of such vehicles are plentiful, including but not limited to: pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), vans, minivans, and cross-over vehicles. Individuals often find it difficult to step into and out of the cargo area of a vehicle because the floor of the cargo area is typically well above ground level. In order to provide easier access into and out of the cargo area, vehicle manufacturers have begun incorporating a step into the rear corners of the vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,434,317 to Nania discloses steps incorporated into each corner of a rear bumper. The problem with this approach and others like it is that finding the step when stepping back down from (i.e. exiting) the cargo area is difficult due to such steps being located at the sides of the vehicle. Additionally, the height of such a step is limited to the height of the rear bumper, which is typically well above ground level. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved ingress and egress into and out of the cargo area of a vehicle.